Bidder 70

Bidder 70 follows Tim DeChristopher, a University of Utah student, who on December 19, 2008, in a dazzling act of civil disobedience, derailed the outgoing Bush administration’s illegal Bureau of Land Management oil and gas auction. As bidder #70, Tim bid 1.8 million dollars and won 22,000 pristine acres surrounding Utah’s National Parks. He had no intention to pay or drill. In February 2009, the new Obama administration agreed the land should be safeguarded and invalidated the entire auction. Nevertheless, Tim was indicted on two federal felonies with penalties of up to ten years in prison. A personal portrait, Bidder 70 illuminates how the choices we make determine our future and the world we live in. Tim DeChristopher puts a face on Time Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year, the Protestor.